SolutionBase: Using the Dsget command in Windows Server 2003

Most Windows Server 2003 utilities are GUI-based, forcing you to point and click to get work done. Here's how you can use the Dsget utility to access Active Directory information from the command line.

In this article, I'll continue my examination of Windows
Server 2003's directory service command-line tools with a detailed look at the
Dsget command, which, as you'll remember, allows you to display the properties
of objects in Active Directory. As I do, I'll show you some examples of how the
Dsget command works. I'll also demonstrate how to create some cool command-line
scripts by combining the Dsget and Dsquery commands.

The commands

The Dsget command consists of 10 separate subcommands, as
shown in Table A. Each of these
commands is designed to display the properties of a specific object type in
Active Directory. Several of the commands have multiple variations, which I'll
describe in more detail in a moment.

Table A

Command

Description

Dsget
computer

Displays
the properties of computer accounts. This command has two variations:
one that allows you to view the properties of multiple computers
and one that allows you to view the membership information of a single
computer.

Dsget
contact

Displays
the various properties of contacts.

Dsget
group

Displays
the properties of group accounts. This command has two variations:
one that allows you to view the properties of multiple groups and
one that allows you to view the membership information of a single
group.

Dsget
ou

Displays
the properties of organizational units.

Dsget
partition

Displays
the properties of Active Directory partitions.

Dsget
quota

Displays
the properties of a quota specification, which determines the maximum
number of objects a security principal can own in a specific directory
partition.

Dsget
server

Displays
the properties of domain controllers. This command has three variations:
one that displays the general properties of a domain controller, one
that displays the list of security principals that own the largest
number of objects on the domain controller, and one that displays the
distinguished names of the directory partitions on the server.

Dsget
site

Displays
the properties of an Active Directory site.

Dsget
subnet

Displays
the properties of a subnet.

Dsget
user

Displays
the properties of user accounts. This command has two variations:
one that allows you to view the properties of multiple users and
one that allows you to view the group membership information of a single
user.

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About Greg Shultz

Greg Shultz is a freelance Technical Writer. Previously, he has worked as Documentation Specialist in the software industry, a Technical Support Specialist in educational industry, and a Technical Journalist in the computer publishing industry.

Full Bio

Greg Shultz is a freelance Technical Writer. Previously, he has worked as Documentation Specialist in the software industry, a Technical Support Specialist in educational industry, and a Technical Journalist in the computer publishing industry.